Day 1:  From your preferred airport you fly to San José. Your English-speaking guide will be waiting to greet you upon arrival at the airport. After a short transfer to your hotel and after a quick check in you will be given your reserved room. Later on, you will get to know the other participants of the group.

Accommodation: Hotel Bougainvillea. Meal Plan: None

Day 2:  After a hearty breakfast, you will travel past the typical coffee plantations, fruit and vegetable fields of the central valley on route to the active Poás Volcano (alt 2704m), located close to the capital San José. On clear days, at the craters edge you have a fantastic view of the turquoise blue lagoon and the Sulphur springs.
A jump further downhill right near the little village of Santa Bárbara de Heredia which overlooks the Central Valley from an adjacent volcanic slope, step into the Rosa Blanca organic coffee plantation! A local guide welcomes us and shows us around the colorful and dense plantation where scattered trees donate some shade. The whole process from the organic plant cultivation till the final packed product good for exportation is the essence of this tour. Finally, step into the "Beneficio", the so-called processing area. Your local guide explains and conveys you vividly how the ripe hand-picked coffee cherries are being processed there. The fermentation and drying process is very important before sorting out and roasting. Upon your arrival back at the hotel, enjoy some free time.

Accommodation: Hotel Bougainvillea. Meal Plan: Breakfast

Day 3: An early morning start for our tour, the route takes you through the Braulio Carrillo National Park, known for its lush vegetation and further into the Atlantic lowlands. Our route takes us towards Limón, past the extensive banana and pineapple plantations and the huge container loading areas of the large corporations such as Dole, Del Monte etc. We soon leave the city of Limón, the most important port city on Costa Rica’s Atlantic coast, behind us and drive south along the scenic palm-fringed coastal road.
On the way southbound the Sloth Sanctuary near Cahuita is our next stop. It is where injured animals or orphaned baby animals are registered and taken care of so that hopefully one day, they can find their way back into the wild. However, as nature steers directions, this valuable work is not always successful. Therefore, visitors are able to observe wild animals inside the shelter fortunately in good hands
In the afternoon we reach Puerto Viejo, a charming Caribbean village near the Panamanian border. Our hotel is located close to the beach, offering the opportunity for snorkeling, beach volleyball, or simply relaxing and swimming in the warm Caribbean Sea.

Accommodation:  Azania Lodge. Meal Plan: Breakfast 

Day 4: The Cahuita National Park awaits us with its long sandy beach, which is protected by a coral reef and nestling alongside the evergreen rain forest is one of the most beautiful Southern Caribbean beaches. A leisurely walk along a twisting trail that provides us views of the sea to the southern tip of the long bay and on to the beaches of Puerto Vargas. Along the trail we may encounter Sloths, Raccoons, coatis, various species of birds and monkeys.
To sweeten up your afternoon, the Caribbeans Chocolate Tour with its delicious and organic final product awaits you! Starting at the plantation your guide reveals some highlights how by coincidence chocolate making was being discovered and exported also to Europe for further processing. But today, this process will be shown in a complete summary on sight: Observe, taste and experience - simply enjoyable!
In the evening you may enjoy the authentic Caribbean ambiance in one of the numerous bars and restaurants on the beach in the charming village of Puerto Viejo.

Accommodation: Azania Lodge. Meal Plan: Breakfast

Day 5: From Puerto Viejo it's back towards Limon and the Sarapiqui area. Here the Pejibaye-palm plantation and the owner with machete and rubber boots awaits us. She will reap fresh palm hearts for us - a delicacy that is now not only in Costa Rica highly appreciated. After we learn about the cultivation and processing first-hand, we then have a lunch with fresh palm hearts - hosted Palmitour.
After lunch, your tropical adventure continues with a scenery drive into the northern Caribbean Lowlands where the Hormigas-Town Eco Project is located. The covered place allows you to observe the life of fascinating leafcutter ants in several established colonies. During this guided experience you are going to learn a lot about the positive impact of these little creatures as well as their positive impact on our ecosystem.
We then make our way to the active Arenal volcano. In the late afternoon we reach the town of La Fortuna and the Arenal volcano.

Accommodation: Hotel Casa Luna. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch (at Palmitour) 

Day 6: We travel north to the Caño Negro nature reserve close to the border with Nicaragua. The river with the same name is explored by boat observing the wildlife of this sensitive ecosystem. This reserve is one of the most important nesting sites for waterfowl and is also home to Howler monkeys, Spider monkeys, Crocodiles, and the endangered Green Macaw, Darters (Anhinga) and countless other bird species. After the tour, we satisfy our hunger with a delicious packed lunch.
In the afternoon, relax at the volcanic hot springs of Ecotermales just west of La Fortuna.

Accommodation: Hotel Casa Luna. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch (picknick at Caño Negro) 

Day 7: We will walk in the Arenal National Park over volcanic sand to the lava fields. In the fertile earth flourish orchids and other exotic plants - Toucans like to settle in the tree tops. From the now cooled lava flow we have, on a clear day, a beautiful view of the volcanic cone and the Atlantic lowlands.
Then we drive around Lake Arenal and can see the lava fields and the impressive conical of the volcano (stratovolcano). We reach the "green mountains" of Monteverde in the afternoon.
For nature lovers and explorers, we mostly recommend you an optional Cloud Forest Night Tour. Around dawn, you are able to discover the mysterious sounds of the Cloud Forest during a night hike. Many animals of this particular eco system are nocturnal and can therefore only be seen after sunset. This allows you to experience the tropical cloud forest in a totally different way.

Accommodation: Arco Iris Lodge. Meal Plan: Breakfast

Day 8: Today we have an adventure with a difference at Selvatura Park: We go on a hike following a system of metal suspension bridges in the dizzying heights of the forest. Here, we have the opportunity to gain an insight into the delicate ecosystem of the forest canopy. Due to its location on the Continental Divide an incomparable biodiversity of fauna and flora can be found here. The trees, overgrown with epiphytes point to the high humidity of the cloud forest.

Those who want to test their head for heights have the option to take a Canopy Tour and zip from tree to tree through the forest canopy.

Accommodation: Arco Iris Lodge. Meal Plan: Breakfast 

Day 9: After breakfast, your journey continues to the southern Pacific coast. On our way south, we take you to the Hacienda Nosavar located on the shores of the famous Tarcoles River. During a boat trip, you are able to admire the typical and enchanting flora and fauna of the Costa Rican Central Pacific. Most likely you are able to observe huge crocodiles, some of them over 15 feet long! There are also herons, roseate spoonbills, storks and many other animals like the colorful scarlet macaw parrot! After lunch the coastal road leads us along a beautiful tropical scenery till we reach the Hotel Cristal Ballena just before sunset.

Accommodation: Cristal Ballena Hotel. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch (Nosavar)

Day 10: This morning you will take an extended walk along the beach in the Bahia Ballena National Park.

The rest of the day is at your leisure enjoying your holiday hotel and also giving the opportunity for some swimming.

Optional: We highly recommend a boat trip in the Ballena Marine National Park to observe the whales and dolphins. In this region and with a little luck you can see five species of whales.

Accommodation: Cristal Ballena Hotel. Meal Plan: Breakfast 

Day 11: We leave the southern Pacific coast and drive to Quepos and on to the Manuel Antonio National Park (Tuesdays closed). We take a walk around the National Park, which is the habitat to over 100 species of mammals and 184 bird species. The cheeky Capuchin monkeys like to visit the white sandy beaches; also, commonly seen park residents are the Howler monkeys, Iguanas and Sloth’s. Then it's back to the Central Valley.

Accommodation: Studio Hotel. Meal Plan: Breakfast

Day 12: In the morning we explore the centre of San José with its Central Market and the National Museum in the main square.
Finally, your transfer to the international airport.

Meal Plan: Breakfast

Services included

Guided Tour

• All Transfer
• All overnight stays are based on double occupancy with breakfast incl.
• 3x lunch
• All entrance fees listed in the table Activities and National Parks.
• Qualified English-speaking tour guide.
• Transport in modern, comfortable and fully air-conditioned vehicles.
• EU safety guidelines for drivers and driving times are maintained.
• 24-hour English-speaking emergency hotline (25+ years of experience in Costa Rica)

Self Drivers

• Airport Transfers
• Accommodation is based on double occupancy including breakfast
• 3x lunch
• Activities mentioned in the program description
  NOT included: National park entrance fees, guides in the national parks, National Museum entrance fee
• Rental car including basic insurance
  Vehicle Type: Hyundai Tucson 4x4 or similar
• Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot in the rental car
• Free mileage
• 24-hour emergency hotline

Services not included

• Gratuities (optional)